Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
  • A61K38/16—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/17—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • A61K38/19—Cytokines; Lymphokines; Interferons
  • A61K38/21—Interferons [IFN]
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K47/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient
  • A61K47/30—Macromolecular organic or inorganic compounds, e.g. inorganic polyphosphates
  • A61K47/36—Polysaccharides; Derivatives thereof, e.g. gums, starch, alginate, dextrin, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, inulin, agar or pectin
  • A61K47/38—Cellulose; Derivatives thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides
  • A61K38/16—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K38/17—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • A61K38/19—Cytokines; Lymphokines; Interferons
  • A61K38/21—Interferons [IFN]
  • A61K38/212—IFN-alpha
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K47/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient
  • A61K47/06—Organic compounds, e.g. natural or synthetic hydrocarbons, polyolefins, mineral oil, petrolatum or ozokerite
  • A61K47/08—Organic compounds, e.g. natural or synthetic hydrocarbons, polyolefins, mineral oil, petrolatum or ozokerite containing oxygen, e.g. ethers, acetals, ketones, quinones, aldehydes, peroxides
  • A61K47/10—Alcohols; Phenols; Salts thereof, e.g. glycerol; Polyethylene glycols [PEG]; Poloxamers; PEG/POE alkyl ethers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K47/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient
  • A61K47/30—Macromolecular organic or inorganic compounds, e.g. inorganic polyphosphates
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K47/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients used, e.g. carriers or inert additives; Targeting or modifying agents chemically bound to the active ingredient
  • A61K47/30—Macromolecular organic or inorganic compounds, e.g. inorganic polyphosphates
  • A61K47/32—Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. carbomers, poly(meth)acrylates, or polyvinyl pyrrolidone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K9/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by special physical form
  • A61K9/0012—Galenical forms characterised by the site of application
  • A61K9/0048—Eye, e.g. artificial tears
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K9/00—Medicinal preparations characterised by special physical form
  • A61K9/70—Web, sheet or filament bases ; Films; Fibres of the matrix type containing drug

Definitions

• Interferons are proteins with a molecular weight of between 15 and 30 kD, and present great problems of storage owing to their instability. Numerous proposals have been made in the literature for stabilizing interferon-containing preparations, for example using human serum albumin, glucose, mannitol and a number of other compounds as stabilizers. Alpha-interferons have also been proposed for use in the treatment of viral diseases in the eye; however, it is particularly difficult to produce ointments or drops which will retain their activity for shelf storage.
• Japanese Kokai Tokyo Koho J. P. No. 55/102519 (80 102.519) describes a method of stabilizing interferon by freeze-drying in the presence of Tris(hydroxymethylamino)-methane, a non-ionic polyethylene surfactant and an antibiotic. It was reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,791 that lanthanides and calcium salts increase the mechanical and thermal stability of interferons. It is known from European Patent Application No. 82.481 that amino acids (e.g. glycine and alanine) stabilize buffered (pH 7.0-7.4) lyophilized interferon. According to Sedmak, J.J., et. al. (Adv. Exp. Med. Biol.
• human fibroblast interferon at low pH values is only stable in the presence of more than 5 mcg/ml of protein, and mechanical stress has an inactivating effect on the interferon. It can be said that interferons in general, and alpha-2-interferon in particular, very rapidly lose their activity in aqueous solution without any stabilizers and even pure interferon lyophilizates prepared by freeze-drying acidic aqueous solutions are only relatively stable on storage if stabilizers such as human serum albumin and optionally buffer substances such as ammonium acetate buffer are added to them.
• stabilizers such as human serum albumin and optionally buffer substances such as ammonium acetate buffer are added to them.
• This invention relates to new forms for application of ⁇ -interferons, and particularly alpha-2interferon, comprising a non-lyophilized, dry film of acid-stabilized .sup. ⁇ -interferons, e.g. alpha-2-interferon, on an inert carrier such as glass or inert plastic, the carrier preferably comprising
• the eye rods which are addressdd here for ophthalmological use are the subject of W. Ger. Pat. No. 2 441 191. These eye rods make it possible to apply active substances, conventionally used in ophthamology such as fluorescein and metopiolol, between the lower eyelid and the eyeball in the correct dosage. These eye rods provide an accurate dosage, and, unlike eye drops, cause no irritation to the eye. In employing such rods, the end of the rod with dose of medicament is placed above the lower eyelid and the rod is rotated two or three times; this should release all the active substance.
• non-lyophilized dry films comprising protonated .sup. ⁇ -interferons, particularly alpha-2-interferon, supported by inert surfaces, e.g. glass or plastics, have exceptionally good storage qualities.
• the non-lyophilized dry films are produced by quantitatively dissolving the .sup. ⁇ -interferon in an acidic, strongly polar solvent at a pH of between 1.5 and 5, preferably between 3 and 4, applying the solution to an inert carrier of glass or plastic (e.g. polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate) and removing the solvent at temperatures of between 0° C. and 80° C., preferably at ambient temperature.
• an inert carrier of glass or plastic e.g. polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate
• Suitable solvents include water, aliphatic alcohols with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, aliphatic ketones with 3 to 5 carbon atoms or mixtures of these solvents.
• acids which may be used to adjust the pH value include inorganic acids such as sulphuric or phosphoric acid and particularly hydrochloric acid, whilst examples of organic acids include fumaric, tartaric, succinic and citric acid.
• the .sup. ⁇ -interferon is dissolved in an azeotropically distillable mixture of water and an alcohol, such as methanol or ethanol, to which an acid, preferably hydrochloric acid, has previously been added in order to adjust the pH to the desired value, since after application of this solution to the carrier in question every last trace of the water present can easily be removed.
• an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol
• an acid preferably hydrochloric acid
• the carrier material Before the coating is carried out it is advisable to sterilize the carrier material and also to sterilize by filtration the active substance solution. However, as an additional step, it is also possible to sterilize the coated product by subsequent irradiation (e.g. with ⁇ - or ⁇ -rays).
• a dry film of a protonated .sup. ⁇ -interferon thus obtained retains its activity almost unimpaired even when stored for several months at ambient temperature (and even when kept at 60° C. for 5 days the active substance still shows nearly 90% of its original activity), whereas a film of the same material loses 10% of its initial activity just through freeze-drying. Even the presence of residual traces of moisture does not affect the stability of the active substance, due to protonation of the interferon.
• the film of active substance obtained according to the invention is easily detached mechanically, which is very important for medication used on the eye, and it dissolves very rapidly in water, better still in, for example, a 0.1N hydrochloric acid solution, and particularly well in tears.
• the interferon film of the present invention is therefore, particularly suitable for coating eye rods.
• .sup. ⁇ -interferons particularly alpha-2-interferon, suitable for ophthalmology consist of so-called eye rods (cf. Ger. Pat. No. 2 441 191) in which one or both ends of these rods are coated with an acidic, aqueous, aqueous-alcoholic solution or an acidic, preferably water-containing, dialkyl ketone, e.g. acetone solution containing .sup. ⁇ -interferon, the solvent then immediately eliminated until a dry film is formed.
• eye rods cf. Ger. Pat. No. 2 441 191
• the solutions used on the eye rods contain .sup. ⁇ -interferon in a concentration generally ranging from 0.025 to 2 mg/ml, preferably from 0.5 to 1.5 mg/ml.
• the .sup. ⁇ -interferon e.g. recombinant alpha-2interferon, which occurs in powder form in its pure state, is taken up in an acidic buffer solution (e.g. in an HCl-glycine buffer solution), but preferably in water or in a weak hydrochloric acid solution, e.g. in 0.001 to 0.1N hydrochloric acid, until a clear solution is obtained.
• the solution is then adjusted to the desired concentration, e.g. by the addition of ethanol, to give an interferon concentration of for example 0.5 mg/ml and an ethanol concentration of 20 to 90%, preferably 70% (v/v).
• a system-specific pH of generally from 1.5 to 4.5 is measured.
• a matrix may also be added in a quantity of from 0.05 to 2% by weight, whilst the matrix which improves the adhesion to the eye rods may consist of substances such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone or celluloses such as methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, high molecular solid polyethylene glycols or mixtures of these substances.
• the interferons are stable therein and provided that these matrices are readily soluble in liquids and well tolerated by the eye.
• the matrix acts as an adhesive, but it may also simultaneously have a favourable effect on the mechanical stability of the film and it may also be used to help regulate the viscosity of the charging solution. In order to shorten the drying times, it is advantageous to start with the highest possible concentrations of the volatile solvent.
• the acid solution containing interferon is sterilized by filtration and then Poured into suitable sterile containers made of plastic or glass.
• the solvent is slowly eliminated at room temperature or at temperatures of up to 50° C. under reduced pressure; thus, for example, after the containers have been filled they are cooled by slow evacuation and then slowly brought to room temperature under vacuum until all the solvent has been removed, but preferably low temperature distillation is used, whilst avoiding freezing of the solution.
• the containers, e.g. ampoules, coated in this way are then sealed, e.g. by fusion of the glass neck.
• the contents of the dry ampoule are dissolved in a sterile isotonic solution.
• alpha-2-interferon prepared from 5 mg of alpha-2-interferon dissolved in 3 ml of 0.003N hydrochloric acid together with 10 mg of HSA and 25 mg of methocel was combined with 7 ml of ethanol (pH of the solution 3.6), sterilized by filtration and dotted onto one end of an eye rod whilst the solvent was simuItaneously eliminated by passing a sterile air current at 60° C. over the eye rod. 10 mcl of the charging solution were dotted onto each eye rod, each rod therefore carried 5 mcg of alpha-2-interferon.
• alpha-2-interferon prepared from 5 mg of alpha-2-interferon dissolved in 3 ml of 0.0015N hydrochloric acid and mixed with 7 ml of ethanol (pH value of the charging solution 4.2) was applied to the ends of the eye rods analogously. Once again, each eye rod carried a quantity of 5 mcg of alPha-2-interferon.
• the following Table contains the values found:
• the stabilizer-free forms for application according to the present invention are thus significantly more stable on storage than corresponding forms stabilized with additives.
• the activities of the active substance in freeze-dried forms are substantially lower (cf. page 4).
• the quantity of solution applied to each eye rod contains 5 mcg of alpha-2-interferon.
• the eye rods were stored for 5 days at 60° C. and then the content of active substance was determined as 85%, based on the initial value.
• the charging volume for each eye rod, treated at one end, was 10 mcl in Examples 2 to 6.
• the eye rods consisted of glass and polystyrene.
• Example 11 water alone was used as solvent.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Proteomics, Peptides & Aminoacids (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Gastroenterology & Hepatology (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Medicines That Contain Protein Lipid Enzymes And Other Medicines (AREA)
• Medicinal Preparation (AREA)
• Peptides Or Proteins (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=6307914

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (14)

Cited By (8)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1986
  • 1986-08-21 DE DE19863628468 patent/DE3628468A1/de not_active Ceased
• 1987
  • 1987-08-08 EP EP87111493A patent/EP0258683A3/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-08-19 NZ NZ221497A patent/NZ221497A/xx unknown
  • 1987-08-19 CA CA000544820A patent/CA1313131C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1987-08-19 IL IL83585A patent/IL83585A0/xx unknown
  • 1987-08-20 JP JP62207341A patent/JPS6351338A/ja active Pending
  • 1987-08-20 DK DK434087A patent/DK434087A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1987-08-20 KR KR870009090A patent/KR880002541A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1987-08-20 NO NO873513A patent/NO873513L/no unknown
  • 1987-08-20 PT PT85561A patent/PT85561B/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1987-08-20 FI FI873593A patent/FI89007C/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1987-08-20 ZA ZA876166A patent/ZA876166B/xx unknown
  • 1987-08-21 AU AU77307/87A patent/AU590958B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1987-08-21 US US07/088,187 patent/US4824674A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (8)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events